2008′s most anticipated movies.

pass the popcorn.

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that movie poster link from a few days ago got me thinking…

where are all the GOOD movies hiding out? not for nothing, but upon further review most of the posters on that list were chick-flick fare. the countess? fools gold? kit kitredge? made of honor? 27 dresses? trash like that is what’s supposed to be hot this year? please… don’t girl me with all that girl stuff.

instead, lets get hyped for movies like these in 2008:

* be kind, rewind

(view trailer)

he has his ups and downs, but for the most part i’ve always dug mos def as an mc. on the screen its another story. if douglas adams were still alive when hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy premiered, he surely would have died from grief at how badly mos def fucked up the character “ford prefect.” so why am i still looking forward to seeing be kind rewind? two reasons: jack black and michel gondry.

once he dials down his over the top ways (like in school of rock and high fidelity) jack black is wild funny. i think michel gondry works in subtle tones, and will reign jack in while getting the most out his rapper co-star. plus, gondry’s own style and vision for surreal images is worth my $10 alone. if you don’t believe that hype, check out the science of sleep, eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, and bjork videos like human behavior, hyperballad, and joga.

* righteous kill

(view trailer)

i remember how excited i was for the movie heat to come out. the thought of deniro and pacino in a flick together – as enemies no less – seemed like the makings of a classic. but in reality? uh… not so much.

in 2008 the two most notorious members of the corleone crime family will try to improve on their last collaborative effort with righteous kill. this time they are nyc police detectives (i know, this seems like a stretch) who are hunting a vigilante that might be a cop. if the thought of seeing these two cats on-screen together isn’t surreal enough, the cast of this film also features john leguizamo and cuuuuuurtiiiiis “50 cent” jackson. this movie will either be fantastic, or the worst movie in the history of buttered popcorn. either way, i’m so there.

* wanted

(view trailer)

i’m far from the biggest angelina jolie groupie out there, but there is something absurdly sexy about watching her fire semi-automatic weapons while making random objects explode. sue me… i’m a guy who likes hot chicks, shiny guns, and loud noises.

upon watching the trailer, wanted DOES seem pretty damned formulaic. to wit: assassin recruits ordinary citizen to become an fellow assassin. ordinary citizen bucks at first, but then comes to find that he/she is a natural at fomenting wanton death and destruction. wash, rinse, repeat. but did i mention that angelina jolie looks particularly hot in this movie? and morgan freeman seems like he’ll make a fine homicidal yoda-like instructor…so why not check this one out?

* the dark knight

(view trailer)

i won’t lie. i — along with countless other nerds in the universe — had the following reaction upon hearing heath ledger was cast as the joker in the new batman movie: “HEATH LEDGER? we’re gonna have a brokeback batman?!?!”

and like every other dweeb with a high-speed internet connection, i have chowed down on many servings of humble pie since seeing the previews for the dark knight. the joker is downright badass (check out this spoilery opening scene synopsis as proof). christopher nolan has managed to avoid turning this brooding and morally ambiguous comic book franchise into cartoony camp (the way jack nicholson and tim burton did). this movie looks like the coolest fucking action flick that has been developed in the past 10 years.

* speed racer

(view trailer)

when i heard there was going to be a movie adaptation of the japanese cartoon speed racer, i wasn’t too excited. the best thing about that show was the fact that dj keoki once chopped/screwed audio clips from it into a fresh candyflip-rave song from the early 90s. again, my opinion changed once i saw some of the clips of the film.

the wachowski brothers (of matrix trilogy, v for vendetta fame) have actually made this movie seem visually interesting. i doubt the story will have a lot of depth to it, but the pictures look amazing. think: fast & furious meets super mario brothers on acid. plus, matthew fox (bka as the type-a asshole “jack” from LOST) has a role in it. if the flick is awful, i’ll enjoy hating on that cat thoroughly.

* choke

(no fucking trailer)

the director is a rookie, and the biggest stars in this movie are actors like anjelica houston (addams family, grifters) and sam rockwell (confessions of a dangerous mind, hitchhiker’s guide). there is so much hype around this film that despite its impending sundance festival release, the movie trailer cannot be found ANYWHERE on the internet. you may be wondering… why are you so excited for this movie to hit theaters?  the answer to that question: chuck palahniuk.

the same chuck palahniuk that wrote the novel fight club also wrote the novel choke. we’ve moved from schizophrenic yuppies pummeling disaffected pseudo-revolutionaries in barroom basements to a predatory, nymphomaniacal con-man who spends his time trolling sexual addiction recovery groups and hustling well fed socialites out of sympathy money by allowing them to “save him” from a choking death. even with hype unseen, this film will be mandatory for 2008.

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those 6 films are just the tip of the iceberg. i’m equally excited to see wall-e, vantage point, harold & kumar 2, and cloverfield. i’ll be damned if i write some hype for all of those movies as well. i suggest you click on some links and check out the trailers for yourself.